You Can Play Sega Genesis ROM Hacks on Steam Now

The Sega Genesis & Mega Drive Classics Hub has been released on Steam, and now anyone who owns a classic Sega game on the platform can utilize Steam Workshop to upload and play ROM hacks.

The hub comes in the form of a Sega fan's bedroom in the '90s, which houses all of the Genesis games you own on Steam. Community manager Daniel Sheridan wrote on Sega's blog to announce the update's release, saying that the company is not putting out any modding tools at this time, though people can share ROMs as much as they like.

"Steam Workshop functionality is a platform to share the wealth of custom Mega Drive & Genesis ROMs out there and support the highly talented and engaged community of modders behind them," said Sheridan. "Now content creators can easily share their custom ROMs with other Mega Drive & Genesis fans giving a new perspective on so many beloved retro titles."

Some of the available ROMs right now include Streets of Rage 2 with a twist--when people die, it makes "that weird Tim Allen noise." One user has uploaded a complete version of Sonic the Hedgehog 3, which is not available on Steam for purchasing, while another has put Knuckles in the starring of the original Sonic. You can even play through Ecco the Dolphin as an orca.

Some of the uploads come from the original authors like Knuckles in Sonic 1, while others have been uploaded by someone else. For example, the user who uploaded Sonic Classic Heroes has been asked to take it down by the mod's creator. It will be interesting to see if Sega takes down any of the creations itself.

We've contacted Sega for comment on if it'll regulate the Steam Workshop, and if so, what its plans for doing that are. We'll update this article as we receive more information.

You can check out the rest of the Genesis Hub's Workshop right here. As part of its release, Sega has discounted five of its game collections, each pack costing $2.55 until May 1. You can get 50 Genesis games for just under $13.